Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party)
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Good morning everybody, and welcome to the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage where we are carrying out pre-legislative scrutiny on the proposed planning and development Bill 2022. This morning we are joined by members of the Irish Planning Institute, IPI, and the Royal Town Planning Institute Ireland, RTPI. They are all very welcome here to assist us in the scrutiny. I know from the opening statements that they represent nearly 1,400 planners across the country between both organisations, so they will be more than aware of the difficulties, complexities and challenges in the planning system and for planners.

From the Irish Planning Institute, we are joined by Mr. Gavin Lawlor, vice president; Mr. Philip Jones, chair of the policy and research committee; and Dr. Seán O'Leary, senior planner; and from the Royal Town Planning Institute, we are joined by Ms Valerie Brennan, chair; Mr. Niall Byrne, vice chair; and Mr. Craig McLaren, director. We received their opening statements and accompanying documentation, which will be available on our website after this meeting.

I wish to remind members of the constitutional requirement that members must be physically present with the confines of the place where Parliament has chosen to sit, namely Leinster House, in order to participate in public meetings. Those attending in the committee room are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their contributions to today's meetings. This means that they have an absolute defence against any defamation action for anything they say at the meeting. Both members and witnesses are expected not to abuse the privilege they enjoy, and it is my duty as Chair to ensure that this privilege is not abused. Therefore, if their statements are potentially defamatory in relation to an identifiable person or entity, they will be directed to discontinue their remarks, and it is imperative that they comply with any such direction.

Members and witnesses are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official, either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

We will invite the witnesses to make their opening statements of about five minutes each, and then we will go to each of the members for seven or eight minute sections. That is the time allocated to ask the question and to answer the question.

I will go in the order of IPI and RTPI. I invite Mr. Lawlor to make his opening statement, and if he could keep it to five minutes or so I would appreciate it.